Nikola Jokić – A
There were moments when Jokić could have applied more pressure. Fresh off his most insistent performance as a scorer, Jokić reverted to cerebral mode against Memphis. That costs him a better grade here, but I recognize I’m nitpicking at a hyper-efficient triple-double, Jokić’s fourth straight. He finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 0 turnovers — just a ridiculous stat line. If anything, the 16 shots weren’t enough, but again, a significant factor in limited shots was Denver’s inability to get him the ball when it matters most. Here’s the reality, Jokić was more than good enough. Denver suffered yet another bench collapse.
Will Barton – A-
In the fourth quarter, Barton contributed to the Jokić problem as he forced two drives that resulted in a turnover. That’s unfortunate on multiple levels, one of them being it marred an excellent get-the-ball-to-Jokić game from Barton. It also detracts from his best offensive play in a long time. He finished with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Aaron Gordon – B
Playmaker AG went to work, racking up nine assists. He did little to slow Ja Morant on the other end, however. That wasn’t his primary assignment, but he quickly took it as Morant cooked any guards before him. Here’s the part where we acknowledge how ridiculous that is. Gordon is a forward. He shouldn’t have to cut off every perimeter threat, but Denver has few alternatives, especially if Davon Reed can’t get in the game.
Jeff Green – B-
Green’s contributed plenty to this starting unit, though rarely does it come in the form of rebounding. He grabbed seven to go along with his 15 points and three blocks. He did foul out, though.
Monte Morris – B
Morris finally got it back going from deep, knocking down 3 of 5 en route to 17 points. Morris scored well, although he posted zero assists to two turnovers. It’s cold in hell today.
Bryn Forbes – D
Forbes is not shy. He was the first off the bench and was heavily involved in the offense. He got 13 shots up in about 19 minutes. After starting 3 of 5, Forbes stalled out in the second half, bricking several floaters as the lead ballooned. Still, the 13 shots are a welcome alternative to whatever everyone else is doing on that second unit. Forbes just couldn’t knock them down. He also defends like a newborn giraffe.
Facundo Campazzo – F
Campazzo was one of many bench players who struggled. Though, he stood out among them as Malone leaned on him the most. Campazzo led all bench players with 19-plus minutes despite abysmal performance. Herein lies the crux of the Facu phenomenon — our inability to go 24 hours without discussing a third-string point guard. Malone has tried any and everything except less Facu. It’s past time to experiment, even at the cost of a true point guard on the floor.
Bones Hyland – F
If we spend so much time highlighting Facu’s struggles, someone has to point out that Bones was even worse against Memphis. I understand those who point to Facu’s detrimental effect on the spacing as something weighing Bones down, but I notice a stark difference in the spacing for the bench unit. No one is leaving Facu to triple-team Bones. These guys have room to make a play. Bones did not.
Zeke Nnaji – D
Zeke looks like an NBA-caliber player to me, but he doesn’t yet look like an NBA big. The timidity is back in spades. Nnaji grabbed only one rebound in the loss.
DeMarcus Cousins – DNP
According to the homie Harrison Wind, Cousins was active but did not play as a lingering calf issue kept him off the floor. Wind is also reporting that Cousins should make his debut against the Pistons.
Defense – Bad
Outside of AG, I had little to say about anyone’s defense. There’s no point in zooming in when virtually everyone on either team struggled. No one was stopping anyone out there.
